Scuttlebutt Europe #727 - 12 May 2005

Produced by boats.com Europe andSeahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

CALAIS ROUND BRITAIN RACE: SEVEN AT THE START
On Sunday 22 May at 1330 GMT, seven crews will set off on their Open 60 foot monohulls for the 1850 miles dash around the British Isles for the second edition of the Calais Round Britain Race. In 2003, Vincent Riou (PRB) and his four crew took victory after 9 days 9 hours and 48 minutes of racing. This year, Riou will be the race patron with a daily column on the Internet site http://www.calaisroundbritainrace.com . He will also participate in the radio session on 27 May. The clockwise tour of the British Isles will culminate with the seven monohulls having to round the buoy off the English port of Dover in an attempt to better the Dover-Calais record. For the moment this record belongs to Charles Hedrich (Objectif 3) who, two years ago, devoured the 19 miles that make up the Pas-de-Calais crossing in 1hr18' (14.62 knot average).

Alongside Jean Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec), Mike Golding (Ecover), Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia), Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle), Emma Richards (Pindar Alphagraphics) and Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat), a seventh competitor now enriches the list of participants. Young architect Jean Baptiste Dejeanty is just starting out in the Open 60 footer class aboard a custom-built boat that is designed in part by his own hands.  

As in 2003, the boats in the Calais Round Britain Race will be raced with five crew members. Amongst the participating Figaro sailors are, Nicolas Béranger, Erwan Tabarly (on Virbac Paprec), Kito de Pavant (Bonduelle) and the joint holder of the Trophée Jules Vernes Yann Eliès (Cheminées Poujoulat). Other crew members from the maxi catamaran Orange will also be at the start in Calais: Ronan Le Goff (on Sill&Veolia) and Nicolas de Castro (Cheminées Poujoulat).

Emma Richards has the most international crew of all for the time being as she has three different nationalities onboard (French, English and Australian). She also has the youngest crew, with an average age of 28.

Emma will be joining forces with Sébastien Josse, 5th in the Vendée Globe and future skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race, English sailor Simon Fisher (former America's Cup sailor on GBR Challenge, and crew on Playstation and Maiden II and the future Volvo), and also the young Australian Nick Bice (America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race). Jean Luc Nélias is another sailor of renown who has spiced up the 60' multihull circuit for a number of years. He will be sailing in the company of Roland Jourdain this time around.

Programme
15 to 18 May (at the latest): arrival of boats in Calais
Thursday 19, 1300 GMT: opening of the Press Centre in the Calais CCI
Friday 20 (morning): exhibition race off the beach
Saturday 21: exhibition race off the beach in the morning. Fireworks display in the evening.
Sunday 22: exit of the boats from the port between 1200 and 1230 GMT. Start at 1330 GMT.
First finishers expected around 29 May.

www.calaisroundbritainrace.com

NEW ADDITION TO IN-PORT RACING FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2005-06
Portsmouth, England: A new generation of sport catamaran was announced today which will be showcased with an exciting grand prix series during some of the in-port stopovers for the Volvo Ocean Race 2005 06.

The class, which will appear as the Volvo Extreme 40, is a strict one-design catamaran that has been purposely designed and built to race inshore and short offshore regattas. The concept is simple, it is easy to sail, lightweight, easily transportable and like the Volvo Open 70's that will compete in the race, it is at the forefront of sailing technology.

Created and designed by Olympic Tornado champions Mitch Booth, who has represented both Australia and the Netherlands at Olympic competition, and French Olympic gold medal winner Yves Loday, the boat has been created to fill the gap in grand prix sailboat racing.

Further information on the class website: www.VolvoExtreme40.org

THE WORLD GREATEST TACTICIANS
The CAMET Dry Erase Board has been chosen the best secret weapon for professional tacticians! There is nothing better for writing down wind angles, tides, tacking angles and GPS locations. It's clean and simple to use. No more messy decks to rub clean. Simply peel, stick and write on, and wipe off! Place it on any smooth surface of your boat...in the cockpit or in the galley&Great for sail and powerboats! Also available Padded Shorts & Pants, Rashguards, Coolmax Shirts and Bags! Check it out now! www.camet.com

MATCH RACE GERMANY
Langenargen, Germany: The 8th annual Match Race Germany, Stage 6 of the 2004-'05 Swedish Match Tour, is set to begin tomorrow with the competition raced on Lake Constance in southwest Germany.

The field of 12 teams features four of the top eight skippers on the Swedish Match Tour leaderboard, including Nos. 1 and 3, and the top two skippers on the ISAF world rankings. There are six crews representing syndicates for the 32nd America's Cup, and two skippers making their Swedish Match Tour debut. Also, the event's reigning champion has returned to try and make it two in a row.

Among the entries are Swedish Match Tour leader and world No. 1 Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, and Peter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, the reigning Tour champion who won here last year. Gilmour lies in third place on the Tour leaderboard and is ranked No. 2 in the world. Other Tour leaders include Staffan Lindberg (FIN), who is sixth, and Mathieu Richard (FRA), placed eighth.

Locally, the most anticipation surrounds Jesper Bank (DEN). Bank, who raced with the Scandinavian-based Victory Challenge in Louis Vuitton Cup 2003, has been selected as skipper of Germany's first-ever challenge for the America's Cup, United Internet Team Germany.

Bank will sail this week with tactician Markus Wieser of Germany.

Although Match Race Germany has been held since 1997, this is the eighth annual event. The 1999 event was canceled when Langenargen and the towns lying on Lake Constance were flooded. "That was a force majeure," Magg said. "There was nothing we could do."

This year Match Race Germany ends on Monday, May 16, in honor of the Whit Sunday and Whit Monday holidays, the German's celebration of Pentecost. Nearly everyone in the country goes on a two-week vacation beginning Friday in honor of the Christian holiday. -- Sean McNeill

Match Race Germany 2005 Entrants

• Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand - Two-time Olympic Gold medalist
• Ian Ainslie (RSA) Shosholoza Challenge - Three-time Olympian in Finn class
• Jan Eike Andresen (GER) - Ranked 40th on ISAF World Match Race Ranking List
• Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi - Leads Swedish Match Tour standings
• Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany - Skipper of Germany's first
• America's Cup Challenge
• Sébastien Col (FRA) K-Challenge - Tactician for France's K-Challenge
• Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team - Reigning Match Race Germany
• champion
• Sten Mohr (DEN) - Won qualifying regatta for entry
• Staffan Lindberg (FIN) - Sixth on Swedish Match Tour leaderboard
• Bertrand Pacé (FRA) BMW Oracle Racing - Runner-up at Match Race Germany '04
• Mathieu Richard (FRA) - Seventh on Swedish Match Tour leaderboard
• Ian Williams (GBR) - Making Swedish Match Tour debut

Swedish Match Tour Standings (After 5 of 8 stages)

1. Ed Baird (USA) 75 points
2. Russell Coutts (NZL) 70 points
3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 62 points
4. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) 45 points
5. James Spithill (AUS) 35 points
6. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 26 points
7. Philippe Presti (FRA) 24 points
8. Mathieu Richard (FRA) 21 points

www.swedishmatchtour.com

NEW DATE FOR POPULAR FASTNET SEMINAR
Due to the sellout success of the last Fastnet Race Winning Strategies seminar by Mike Broughton which raised £1,400 for the John Merricks Sailing Trust, another seminar will be held on Wednesday 8th June at the Royal Ocean Racing Club, 20 St James's Place, London from 18.00 - 20.00. Tickets are £20 with all proceeds going directly to the John Merricks Sailing Trust - all parties are giving their time and resources as a charitable donation. For more information or to purchase tickets please contact Amanda Airey at RORC - aa@rorc.org.uk - Tel: 0207 518 3150. Space is limited and places will be booked on a strictly first come; first served basis.

For further information please contact:
Suzy Hamel, Public Relations, John Merricks Sailing Trust
Tel: 02380 458191, Mobile: 07789 028612, e-mail: suzy@jmst.org.uk www.jmst.org.uk

BONGO SAILING IN EUROPE
Summer means fun and sailing. For a new take on both, try singlehanded sport boat sailing in the Bongo. Lots of sail combinations and an ergonomically designed cockpit makes the Bongo enjoyable for kids from 8 to 80. www.speedgoat.ch

EUROPEAN 18 FOOTERS GRAND PRIX IN CARNAC
Very light NE winds (4/5 knots) made the organizers shorten the morning banana course on the third and final day of racing, once again dominated by the usual English crewsŠ among which there was a noteworthy absent. HERMES, leader of the provisional ranking Saturday evening, attempted this 8th race with several handicaps (lost by the helmsman of contact lenses the day before, broken toeŠ) to which were added some tactical mistakes fraught with consequences at that level of competition.

In the beginning of the afternoon, the 13 European crews took off at 12.51 for a coastal course of about 15 miles. The wind rapidly settled west with a light 10 knots thermal that quickly reinforced at 15 during the whole race. Gone south of the Yacht Club de Carnac, the European fleet headed SE towards the Méaban buoy before making for Quiberon and sailing along the peninsula to come back to the club. Andy Richards's crew, really very inspired on this Sunday, took the first place in the long distance race - after 1 h 49' - and in the final ranking!

Therefore this last day put an end to the tenuous duel that opposed the two English crews HERMES and RADII, the latter finishing with a total of 11 points only. The number of races run (10, that is 8 rounds and a coastal raid counting double and that couldn't be taken off the point count) indeed enabled to withdraw the two worst races of each crew. The HERMES crew finally mounted the podium second, the Swiss crew on EXEL mounting third, just in front of the third English crew BARRON & SMITHERS and the solid Danish on GP COVERS, only crew to have raced the whole championship with the large rig. SEFICO, first French crew, took the fourth place in the morning race and the eighth one in the final ranking.

Final results (after 9 races, 7 kept):

1. Radii (GBR)- Richards, Fairley, Richards - (11 Points)
2. Hermes (GBR) - Browne, Tait, Torrance - (15 Points)
3. Exel (SUI) - Rueger, Marti, Fuchs - (26 Points)
4. Barron & Smithers (GBR) - Barton, Borett, Turnbull - (29 Points)
5. Gp Covers (DEN) - Clausen, Elber, Friedrichsen - (37 Points)
6. Velamare Skiff (ITA) - Colombi, Pellegrini, Visconti - (47 Points)
7. Base 1 (GBR) - Dulson, Constable, Morgan - (53 Points)
8. Sefico (FRA) - Orion, Caiveau, Vallée - (55 Points)
9. Sail Addiction - Lagi, Bonzio, Ferrari - (56 Points)
10. 4 Us - Chanez, Gesseney, Freymond - (82 Points)
11. Rsg-Sbm - Monzin, Florean, Cambiaghi - (92 Points)
12. Propulsion - Lamotte, Aubrun, Ducouedic - (133 Points)
13. Blue Point Carnac - Modai, Mary, Gahinet - (133 Points)

www.uk18footer.org

BEAT THAT
Sydney2Hobart veteran hero Alex Whitworth has taken the Cape Horn route to return his 33ft Berrimilla from Hobart to Sydney. Alex, apart from one crewman Peter Crozier, discharged his crew at Hobart, and set off across the South Pacific with a view to competing in the Fastnet Race before sailing back to Sydney in time for the next Sydney Hobart at Christmas. Having rounded Cape Horn he took a provision stop at the Falklands in March and is now at 12 º North heading steadily for Falmouth.

Berrimilla, one of the smallest yachts in the Sydney2Hobart and one of the regular entries, won her 45-strong class overall in the '98 event when average wind speed exceeded a phenomenal 70 knots for over ten hours. She is due into Falmouth in early June when finding a berth for a few weeks will become a priority, both at Falmouth and later at Lymington.

Peter Joubert designed the solidly built Berrimilla, a Brolga 33, in 1969. Her website is: www.berimilla.com

IRM CLASS NEWS
Those who were not out racing last weekend missed a splendid regatta organised by the RTYC (and an unusually lively IRM Class Association AGM late on Saturday afternoon!). Out thanks to Malcolm McKeag and his team for their excellent race management.

Congratulations to Tony De Mulder and his crew on the Farr 40 Vitric 5 for a second event win in the IRM Inshore Circuit. Second and third place were closely fought by the Farr 45s Rebel (David Franks and Duncan Morris) and Atomic (chartered by John Bainbridge), the former winning by just one point. John is currently buying a Farr 45 which will soon be on the water and will clearly be very competitive. 4th place was tied between the Ker 11.3 High Life (David Rogers) and Farr 40 Too Steamy (Nick Haigh), with David winning on countback - again demonstrating the close racing offered by IRM.

It is a pleasure to see John Merricks (ex-Babalaas) on the water. Many of you will be aware that David McLean has generously donated his boat to the John Merricks Trust, who have loaned the boat to the RYA Volvo Keelboat Campaign. This will allow our up-coming young sailors to participate at the top level of the sport and we are delighted to welcome them to the IRM fleet.

Don't forget to enter for the RTYC Series 2 regatta on 28-9th May. This is your chance to win a very special trophy: the Royal Thames Trafalgar Cup. Originally called the Vauxhall Cup, the trophy has not been raced for since 1802. It existed at the time of the battle of Trafalgar and is the oldest yachting trophy to be competed for in 2005. -- Steph Merry

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Letters are limited to 350 words, and you may only write a single letter on a topic. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published.

* From Mikel Emaldi: I was surprised at the Editorial of the June issue of Seahorse. I learnt there that "... IRC is perfect ... principally because it is the work of an instant to find out how you are doing on the racecourse". So I was wrong; handicapping systems are not meant for fairness or anything like that, since their main purpose is to easily know how you are doing.

In this case I've got an even better system. Why not write down the results before the race? In this case there is no need for even an easy calculation since you know how you did already; might not be fair, but it is certainly easy. No need for the race either.

FEATURED BROKERAGE
2001 X-Yachts IMX 40, EUR 189,900. Located in Portomaso, Malta

Hull number 41. In top condition. VAT paid. Nice blue hull. Rarely sailed in fresh water only. Ready for racing IMS and IRC. North 3DL Grandprix Sails. Carbon Mast. Easy to visit in Malta. 15 min from the airport of Valletta.

Brokerage through BoBo Marine AG: yachtworld.com/bobomarine

Complete listing details and seller contact information at
www.boats.com/listing/boat_details.jsp?entityid=13640911

THE LAST WORD
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition. -- Timothy Leary